The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returned to Talladega Superspeedway on Friday, with a pair of practice sessions for Sunday’s 49th GEICO 500. Those sessions were led by Ty Dillon and two-time Talladega winner Jamie McMurray.

No distance is too far for Talladega Superspeedway fans as thousands will make the trek to NASCAR’s biggest track this week, turning the facility into one of the largest cities in sweet home Alabama. The weekend features three full days of heart-pounding racing featuring the GEICO 500 on Sunday, Saturday’s Sparks Energy 300 and the General Tire 200 to kick things off on Friday.

In 1981, Senator Gerald Dial, Chairman of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, addressed a large crowd at groundbreaking ceremonies of the Hall of Fame, as dignitaries and members looked on. Dial will serve as the Honorary Starter for Sunday’s GEICO 500.

Every driver who straps themselves behind the wheel at the 2.66-mile track dreams of winning at the historic, gigantic venue and a trip to Gatorade Victory Lane. And, to the victor of Talladega’s upcoming races during its tripleheader motorsports weekend (April 27-29), go the spoils - some of the most unique pieces of authentic ironware in all of motorsports with both the Vulcan Trophy and the Hammer & Anvil Trophy.

Fans looking to “gear-up” to showcase the support of their favorite driver and track can do so by visiting the more than a dozen Fanatics mobile trailers that will be in Talladega Superspeedway’s Fan Zone during the track’s upcoming April 27-29 race weekend.

As a result of the amount of heavy rain that was encountered this past weekend over much of the state of Alabama, the Tuesday (April 24) and Thursday (April 26) “Drive Days” at Talladega Superspeedway have been canceled.

Talladega Superspeedway fans looking to save some extra “moola” for the much-anticipated April 27-29 tripleheader motorsports weekend – featuring the GEICO 500, Sparks Energy 300 and General Tire 200 – need to purchase their tickets this week to receive up to $10 off race week cost (which begins next Monday, April 23 at 8 a.m. CDT).

A limited quantity remains for Talladega Superspeedway’s popular Sunday VIP Experience and Unrestricted Weekend VIP Package – two options that give fans unmatched access to crank up their race day experience during the tripleheader weekend, April 27-29.